


It's Your Imagination

by backwardsties95



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Dark Magic, Depression, Fluff, M/M, Mentions of Suicide, Mentions/appearances of Kageyama's parents as well, Possession, Psychic Abilities, Slow Romance, ghost au, idek how to tag, mentions of abuse, mentions of bullying, rating will change as work progresses, tags may be added or changed as work is added to
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-19
Updated: 2014-10-26
Packaged: 2018-02-21 18:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2478164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/backwardsties95/pseuds/backwardsties95
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>King of the Court.</p><p>Kageyama had always acted like he did to gain some sort of control in a place he knew he could get it. He was bullied and he needed to feel like he was better than the things they called him.</p><p>But he couldn't escape.</p><p>Now a family has moved into his house and there is a certain redheaded boy that makes him sometimes rethink wanting to be seen. Though he enjoyed the company sometimes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Sometimes he wished he was like the stories he used to listen to: unaware of the fact he was stuck in the house he was desperate to escape from for fifteen years. Now he stood in his old room, bare down to the last volleyball poster, wishing that he could leave. If he tried (and he has) to step a foot outside that door, he would hit an invisible brick wall and forced on his ass. Kageyama thought that once he was gone everything would get better. That the squeeze of the rope would be his salvation; it turned out to be more like his damnation.

He watched as family after family moved in and out of that house. The look of disgust or sadness crossed their faces when they would find out what Kageyama did to himself there. It would be a mistake to live in a house were a kid killed himself, wouldn't it? Especially if he never left. It was sickening. It reminded him of what he tried to run from all those years ago. _How many was it now? Six? Seven? Ten?_ He couldn't remember anymore. As much as he hated people now from what happened, he yearned for someone to talk to. It got so lonely being there with either no one to see you or hear you to no one there at all. It left him to rot in his memories of fists on his body and cruel words spat at him from behind his back.

He sat in various rooms, trying to keep his sanity and his mind away from bringing back the memories. He would find himself running his hands along his neck at the dark blue bruise that would linger until he was gone for good. Who knows how long that would be? He would scream and shout, apparently so loud that people could actually hear him and think someone was really there. He often scared the tenants away with this.

The word spread across town about him. The infamous haunted house that kids dared each other to go into. They would say terrible things that caused him to lash out angrily.  He would push them down and smash their things. This kept people from buying the house; the only people who came to even consider it were skeptics and out-of-town people. So, when a family showed up with a moving truck, Kageyama was beyond shocked.

They were an insane family, say the least. The mother had bright orange hair which her children seemed to inherit and was always smiling. The father had light brown hair with glasses and seemed more serious yet still laughed with everyone. The daughter was a miniature ball of sunshine. The son was an even bigger ball of sunshine, smiling and yelling loudly while bouncing around with boxes from the truck. They were too much for Kageyama to handle. He made his escape to his room, plopping down in the center and pulling his knees to his chest. He sat there with his head down until he heard the giggling from the little girl and the boy come closer and closer. He wished it to go away.

"Onii-chan, who's that?"

Kageyama looked up to see the girl standing in the doorway to his room, a toy rabbit clutched in her tiny hand.

"Natsu? Who are you talking to?" asked the boy, skidding to a stop behind her. His eyes locked on Kageyama. Could he see him?

"The boy in your room."

The boy looked at her then picked her up and threw her over his shoulder without another look to Kageyama. _He was going to look at him and not say anything? Hell no._ Kageyama stood up and followed them. There were only one set of footsteps heard.

"So you're going to ignore me? What the hell is your problem? I know you saw me," he snapped. Natsu looked up with a grin and held out her rabbit.

"Do you like Usa-chan? You can hold her if you like," she said with a good shake of the toy. "Shouyou likes to play too. When he isn't focused on volleyball."

At the sound of his favorite sport, Kageyama ran in front of Shouyou in a hope he would stop. He did. It was a good confirmation that he was seen by both kids.

"Don't think you can ignore me forever. You are staying in _my_ room." He crossed his arms, a scowl set deep in his face. "And don't think I'm happy about this either, dumbass."

Hinata had his bottom lip stuck out in a glare, throwing off Kageyama's anger. That was too close to cute than he'd like to admit. Hinata seemed to look like he was about to say something but his sister beat him to it.

"That's a bad word. You shouldn't say that," she said. 

Kageyama momentarily focused on her. "Sorry, Natsu."

She grinned at him from her perch on Hinata's shoulder. "How come you get to know my name but I can't know yours?" 

"Yeah, how come we can't know yours?" There was Hinata's retort.

Kageyama's scowl deepened. This kid was already getting on his nerves. "Kageyama. Surprised you haven't heard of me."

A confused look passed over the redhead's face. It was obvious he had no clue as to what happened in the house he was now living in. Kageyama gave out an exasperated sigh and turned to go into the living room. He looked out the window at the parents who were speaking to the movers. His lip curled in anger as he beat his fist against the window. To his (unsurprising) disappointment, it made no noise or physical damage. He turned away to instead look at Hinata, eyes narrowed.

"How can you see me? I can understand the kid, but why you?" 

Hinata shrugged as he set Netsu down, releasing her to run around the house. She, like other children, didn't mind seeing a dead person in her home. They watched her before Hinata ever spoke his answer.

"I just woke up one day and saw people. Though, I can never tell if you are a real person that just broke into our house or anything-" he started. 

"Wait, what does that even mean? 'Can't tell if I am a real person or not'?" Kageyama interjected. He rushed forward to stand in front of him. Hinata was quite short. He could use that someday to his advantage. 

Hinata looked away. "You all look real to me. Dead, alive; there's no difference in solidity."

Kageyama pressed a hand to his chest and looked down. He was still in a pair of sweats and his volleyball jacket over a white t-shirt that he wore that day he offed himself. He found he could take them off and change but, when he slept, they changed back. So he stopped fighting it. With this new information, it meant that he was just like he was alive. Of course, it defies what he wanted and still wants.

"Can you help me?" he asked, not bothering to keep his voice down despite the child.

"Help you with what?" Hinata countered. "I swear, you are so stupid. All moody and grumpy."

"I need you to help kill me."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These paragraphs and stuff are gonna be really small since the sizes differ on mobile but I'll write a lot to make up for it. I hope you enjoy it! They will also differ everytime I switch to a computer.

"What!? Kill you?" Hinata seemed to struggle the pitch of his voice.

"Yes, kill me. What else would I mean, dumbass?" Kageyama replied.

Hinata looked around to make sure Natsu wasn't in the room. Once he was done, he picked up a pillow from out of an open box and chucked it at Kageyama. It passed right through his stomach, making his body shimmer in between fading and regular. He glared at Hinata and threw the pillow right back. He refused to be attacked. In a blink of an eye he was in front of Hinata and grabbed a fistful of his hair, shoving the other's head down. The bright orange hair was surprising soft. His anger from the pillow simmered down as he admired the feeling of the hair between his fingers.

"Ow, ow, ow! Okay, jeez, I won't throw things," Hinata pleaded. His voice was either annoyed or in pain from the grip in his hair. "Let go, stupid Kageyama!"

A hand gripped Kageyama's wrist and threw it from his hair. If Kageyama's heart could beat, it would have stopped. Hinata had actually taken his hand and pushed him off. He couldn't fathom how it was possible. No one had been able to touch him; it was always the other way around. He looked at his hand then up at his living resident. Deciding to test it, he wrapped his fingers around Hinata's shirt collar then kept it up as he tried to pry off Kageyama's hand.

"Baka! Stop! What if my parents saw this? You would get me in trouble," Hinata growled, though not as scary as he thought it probably was. It seemed that Kageyama's plead was gone and forgotten.

"Get in trouble for talking to a ghost?"

"Yeah, they don't believe in that stuff and send me back to therapy. God, I hated those things." A visible shiver ran through Hinata. Kageyama wouldn't know what it was like. "They smelled terrible and felt so invasive."

Kageyama rolled his eyes and turned away from Hinata. He looked at an open box, seeing picture frames wrapped in newspaper. One's wrappings had come undone through the move and exposed the picture in the glass. The family as at the beach apparently, judging by the sand and water behind the kid. It was a little boy with the wildest orange hair - obviously Hinata - and the biggest grin that he could possibly imagine on such a small face. There was a straw hat on his head, providing a lip of shade over the beaming face. The kid was absolutely adorable and it made Kageyama sick. Kids were always the ones who pointed out the things that he didn't like about himself - too honest for their own good. He remembered them pointing out the bruises that would mark his body, multiplying every time he went home. He could never run from the constant humiliation and pain. A tear fell down his cheek and he quickly whisked it away.

He didn't want the memories anymore. He didn't want to be constantly reminded about what happened which happened often, finding himself watching replays of incidents in every room.

"Kageyama, what are you doing?"

Kageyama blinked and found himself standing in his - Hinata's room. The mark on his throat burned like he had just done it again. His hand was clutched around a piece of paper that he hid behind his back. He looked up to where he had tied the rope, center of the room, under the light. He tried to think if something to say, feeling flustered. His cheeks warmed in a blush even though he had no blood pumping through his veins.

A couple of men came in behind Hinata to start placing the bed. The asked him where he wanted it and Hinata directed them, eyes still glancing at him. It was like a nonverbal cue to keep talking.

"Nothing. You dumbass, I wasn't doing anything. I was walking around," Kageyama snapped.

The movers disappeared and Hinata sat down on his bed, the mattress sagging under his wait. It wasn't a particularly large bed, maybe enough to fit two. . . If you squeezed.

"You know, you're a terrible liar. Oh well. I'll find out eventually. You start giving me nightmares or dreams and I'll figure it out." Hinata jumped up, his hair bounced with every step. He started ripping open boxes and pulling out pictures and posters.

Kageyama looked over Hinata's shoulder at the posters. "You like the British team? They couldn't spike a ball if their life depended on it," Kageyama said with disgust.

Hinata whipped around with a smile. He was about to say something that Kageyama knew was going to be as equally as irritating as the speaker himself, only to be stopped by the mother walking in with a box and Natsu behind her. The little girl grinned and, at the same time, Kageyama and Hinata both raised a finger to signal to stay quiet about their new housemate. Natsu giggled then plopped down on the floor to play with her rabbit.

"So, Shouyo, how do you like it?" asked the woman, placing the box down.

Hinata's eyes flickered to Kageyama, whose eyes narrowed with a scowl. "It has its quirks, but I like it," he answered. It seemed to please his mother.

"That's good. A new start. Just what we needed. Now, we are going to order some pizza, do you want the normal?" she asked. Kageyama smirked then, with eyes locked with Hinata's, started waving his hands through her head and stomach. She shivered in response and smiled. "It got really cold just now, didn't it? I think I'll turn up the heat. Dinner will be in about thirty to forty minutes."

Hinata nodded. She left the room, closing the door behind her which left Natsu in the room with them. Once the door was shut all the way, Hinata glared at Kageyama who smirked in the corner.

"Could you be any more of an idiot? Baka Kageyama or even Bakayama. That was my mom!" Hinata crossed his arms. His angry face wasn't even intimidating; it was cute and reminded him of Natsu.

"Yeah, I could," Kageyama answered honestly, "though you don't want to find out."

Natsu looked up at the two with curiosity. She had a little stuffed dog now that sat on its hind legs from when she was playing with it. She formed the same pout that Kageyama had seen on Hinata's face.

"Play with me, Kageyama-san?" she asked with her hand outstretched.

He was hesitant because he still didn't like children or anyone really. At the end of the day, he wasn't going to be able to get rid of these people, skeptics and psychics together, so he decided to just do it.

He sat down with his legs crossed and picked up the toy. He cleared his throat, finding this incredibly embarrassing.

"Kageyama-san, why is that thing on your neck?" Natsu asked, reaching out to try and press a hand to the bruise. It passed right through and she huffed out a sigh. She then instructed for him to turn over his hand, bringing the several dozens of lines on his wrists into the light.

"I don't know, Natsu, but it's not nice to ask people that stuff. Go and play in your room," Hinata replied.

She huffed angrily then got up, her pigtails shaking with her body as she stomped from the room. Kageyama rolled his eyes when the door shut to leave them alone. He thought Hinata was being ridiculous. He walked over to the bed and sat down. He could feel the softness of the mattress beneath his fingers. He knew that he didn't make the bed shift like Hinata did. For some reason, this made him feel a need to make it move - a need to be alive. It was a ridiculous need. He did what he did to get away from life, not gain it. He shook his head and stood from the bed.

"So what were you babbling about earlier? That you would have dreams and nightmares about me?" Kageyama asked. He crossed his arms across his chest.

Hinata shrugged his shoulders then  turned around to press his posters to the wall. There were a couple tv posters and more than a few volleyball posters. A couple surprised Kageyama by being slightly promiscuous girls which he scoffed at by being there to sway his parents away from the fact he wasn't interested. Kageyama messed around a bit by knocking them down, pulling at that bright and soft orange hair, even going as far as shoving his head down again.

"If you sit down and leave me alone, Bakayama, then I'll tell you. I don't know if you have ever moved or not but this stuff is hard and tiring," Hinata yelled with a stomp of his foot. Kageyama snickered but sat anyway. "Okay, now let me explain: I can see you and hear you and feel you, as you well know. It's extremely rare for something already rare. Being able to feel them is something I don't share since they can attack me then." He gave a pointed look towards Kageyama who just shrugged. "But normally when I do this stuff, it makes me pretty tired.

"I end up getting, I dunno, visions. Most of the time, I get them when I sleep, though sometimes when I'm awake. I see different aspects of that person's life - childhood memories, their death, even the entire day before their death. I just see stuff. The ones in the day are normally a feeling. They can get really, really bad depending on how strong the spirit is. Like on our way here, I felt horrible. It was like I had just watched someone I loved my entire life die in front of me, and I couldn't do anything about it." Hinata smiled a sad smile. "I should've know it was you. Were you ever called something like the king of the-" 

Kageyama jerked off the bed and over to the window. "Don't call me that. Ever."

Hinata walked over to Kageyama and placed a hand on his shoulder. It was a kind touch. Kind but unexpected. He jumped at the contact, whipping around. The warm brown eyes just smiled up at him as Hinata leaned in to hug Kageyama tightly.

"It's all over now."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama and Hinata bond - dead kid to living one.

Once everyone was settled into the new house, Kageyama was still struggling to get used to new people in his house. Hinata covered "their" room - Hinata insisted that they settle on that since Kageyama refused to accept the fact it was technically no longer his room - in volleyball posters and participation medals. According to Hinata, he could never get an actual team together so anyone that he managed to convince to join him didn't know or want to know how to play volleyball and they rarely won.

There was a couple stuffed animals around the room along with books. There was a stuffed cartoon crow that sat next to a stuffed volleyball and books ranging from manga to crime to volleyball (big shocker) on a small bookshelf. The sheets were red-and-yellow striped with white pillows, making it seem like the twin-sized bed was the sun of his room.

Kageyama and Hinata had an agreement that the ghost would stay out of the room during the times that Hinata would shower and change. Not that he would ever be in there anyway. Why would he watch that little dumbass dress? It never crossed Kageyama's mind. He would just go and play with Natsu during that hour, messing with animals and making them have tea parties. He actually got quite fond of the little girl. She was as energetic as her brother but didn't yell and shout about everything. She didn't seem to mind that he was dead and even asked him if he has seen heaven.

Of course, he couldn't answer that because after he killed himself all he saw was darkness for days until he woke up on the floor of his room. He didn't tell her that.

"I don't know. I am sure there is," he'd said, looking at the toy he held, "since not everyone ends up like me."

"But I'm glad you're here. You're fun to play with! I hope you're happy here," she told him with a bright smile. "Can I hug you so I can make you feel happy?"

Kageyama - who rarely smiled even after death - cracked a smile at her words. It was a happy moment that she didn't judge him like everyone else did. They would play after that and he let her get ready for school, going back to his and Hinata's room. They often just spoke about stuff that didn't involve the gory details of Kageyama's life.

By the second week of the Hinatas moving in, Hinata Shouyo knew what happened down to Kageyama's last thoughts on that day (from Hinata's guess) five years ago. He also knew of the abuse down to the last punch and word, the bullying, the self-harm, everything. Although Kageyama hated to admit it, it drew them closer. They because more than just the psychic and the dead kid. They hung out more; Kageyama doing things just to piss off Hinata and vice versa. Kageyama would take something and move it, making Hinata look for it for a long time. Hinata would and, as Kageyama soon discovered, could block out spirits and become unable to see, hear, or feel them. They would fight all the time with Kageyama winning and Hinata cowering in fear from the a angry glare that Kageyama working for years on when he was still up and at 'em. This became their thing. Natsu would get up sometimes at night to tell them to "shut up and let her get her beauty rest".

Hinata often called Kageyama "King" whenever he did something that earned a "guahhhhhh" or "puahhhhh" from the redhead. No matter how much he hated being called that, it was never out of mockery or insult to Kageyama. It was said in honor - almost as if he was a god of some sort instead of a suicidal ghost fifteen-year-old.

Kageyama still wanted to die and finally leave; though he rarely brought this up again after the last episode. He would ask sometimes and get the same glare plus rant from Hinata. He was forced to promise never to speak to Natsu about something like him dying. Not when she grew so attached to the raven-haired boy.

"This isn't what I wanted, dumbass. I wanted to leave here. Instead I get mocked everyday by the town assholes and forced to see everything over and over again." Tears threatened to fall down his cheeks. Kageyama hated crying, but since he died his emotions seemed to take steroids that lasted forever. Any emotion he had was ready to rear its head back when it got the chance. "I wanted to save myself the pain of that life. Now I'm stuck. And don't you think it would be better with me gone?"

"Why would you think you'd be better gone?" Hinata replied, cheeks red with emotion. "Why do you think that everything will be better here once you're gone?"

"You won't be known as the kid in the haunted house. Natsu can live a better life without seeing a dead guy every day!" Kageyama yelled. "Why do you have to be such a dumbass? You, of all people, should know why I have to go."

Hinata didn't reply after that. He knew had lost. He knew Kageyama made a point. There was always pain that came with every memory that Hinata's abilities brought.

Sometimes he would wake up choking, jerking Kageyama awake. There have been times where he cried himself awake. The setter had to watch Hinata suffer because of him. And there was nothing he could do. When those episodes came all Kageyama could do was sit by his roommate's side and try to comfort him until it passed. He would stroke the bright orange hair softly, admiring what softness he could feel. Being dead didn't deprive him of his sense of touch, thankfully - however, not completely allowing him to keep it either. He could feel that the hair was soft and there was warmth in those bright pink cheeks. He could feel the moisture in the tears that fell. While he was on tightrope between feeling and not feeling, Hinata could feel every little thing like it was his mother doing it.

This made Kageyama hesitant. There was something building up inside of him. It made him want to hug the little midget and never let go. It made him want to go out on walks in the park and hold hands. He didn't know what this was and knew it was probably a bad idea to feed these feelings. It sent a wave of longing through him every time he felt this because he can't do things he wanted.

Despite feeling this, he still comforted Hinata how he could. He would stay by his side until his breathing came back to normal. Sometimes - just sometimes - he could hear Hinata whisper something. It was always too quiet to hear apart from the times he mumbled it loud enough for Kageyama to hear it without straining for it.

"Tobio."

It was bizarre hearing his first name in so many years. Hearing his name on the redhead's tongue made his insides warm, pulling the corners of his mouth into a smile. Something about it made Kageyama feel happier than he has in ages. Then it all came crashing down in his crushing depression.

No matter how he felt, it would never be possible. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many reads in such a short time. Thank you guys so much for all the support! I'm sorry if any of the characters are ooc. I haven't done too much with these two and I'm trying to do it the best I can. If you have any questions or comments, I check this every day and will answer anything.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Problems arise for Kageyama and it gets bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must warn you before you read that there will be self harm in this chapter as well as mentions of abuse. It will be a mild to moderately gory/bloody chapter. If you would not like to read this, when you get to "A familiar ripping pain", skip to " 'Kageyama!' He blinked to see Hinata". If you cannot handle potential triggers, I would not suggest reading anything up to the end of it listed in the previous statement.

While Hinata seemed to be getting along with everyone in school and settling down well, Kageyama was doing the exact opposite.

His condition was getting worse. He had a sort of periodic depression that came and went, and there was a huge one building up quickly. He was unable to bounce back so that no one would notice - by no one, he meant Hinata and Natsu. Once he slipped into this depression, they would see a side of him they should never need to see. Kageyama would start having breakdowns and get stuck in loops of replaying memories. If he happened to get stuck in a memory of his father beating him, he would feel everything again, forced to go through it until it ended. If he got stuck in his last moments, he would go through the same actions that he had before: writing out his last words and standing on the chair to tie the rope around the light and his neck, then jump off. To everyone on the outside, it was just Kageyama doing something or saying something.

It was a time that kids like Hinata and Natsu didn't need to see.

So when Kageyama stood up out of nowhere, he knew what was about to start. He looked at his roommate with anger and fear in his eyes. He didn't want to experience this again.

  
"Hinata, please leave and make sure you and Natsu stay away from me until I tell you otherwise," Kageyama pleaded, feeling a familiar coldness in his hand. His arms shook as he tried to hold it back.

Hinata, who had been sitting on the bed in front of Kageyama, stood and looked at him in worry. He reached out for the raven, confusion clear in everything he did. "Kageyama, what are you talking about?"

Kageyama felt his hand raise at the same time as his arm. He looked down, lost completely in the loop. Tears raced hotly down his cheeks as he crumbled to the floor. He was back in his old room with everything he owned back around him. He couldn't see Hinata dropping down to his knees and shaking Kageyama's shoulders.

The familiar ripping pain flooded his chest as he uncurled his fingers to let the blade shine in the dim light of his room, dull red stains making it a dark russet color. He whispered apologies in dozens and hundreds, moving the blade to ghost over the pale skin of his arm.

 _It's all my fault_ , he thought. _It's all my fault. I'm so sorry_.

He dug the blade into his arm and slashed it across. Bright red appeared in moments. He slashed and slashed and slashed. The blood dripped down his arm in rivers, staining the jeans that he had put on. _Wasn't I wearing sweatpants?_  The dull ache began to radiate through his arm. With every drip of crimson, a sense of ease washed over him. It was like the blood that left held his problems. He began to feel woozy but ignored it.

"More," Kageyama muttered. His blood-covered fingers gripped the blade. He pressed it to the opposite arm. The emotional pain began to creep its way back into his mind. "More, more, more. Mustn't feel."

He slashed again four more times. There were times when he thought he might need to go to the hospital for blood loss but knew his parents wouldn't care. His mother too high and drunk to even see who the hell was in front of her and his father passed out drunk somewhere with a bottle ready to smack him in the face.

"Kageyama!"

He blinked to see Hinata crouched in front of him, eyes puffy and red from crying. Kageyama looked back down at his arms. The crimson rivers were gone with only scars in their place and the russet silver disappeared. It took him a moment to realize that the loop was over.

"You dumbass! Answer me! What the hell was that?" Hinata yelled, shaking the other's shoulders.

Kageyama scowled up at Hinata and shoved him away. "It was a loop."

"A what?"

"I call them loops. It's when I relive memories. They send me back to act out and see everything from a time in my life," the ghost replied, knees pulled to his chest. "Idiot. I told you to leave. There is a reason I didn't want you to see that."

Hinata didn't seem to be able to comprehend what he had just seen. He still had a tight grip on Kageyama's arms. If he was alive they would leave bruises, dark reminders of Hinata's worry. The tears streaked the flushed cheeks.

"I saw all the blood. So much blood," muttered the boy in front of him. Hinata's eyes got another glaze over them as he looked at Kageyama's arms. "I didn't know what was going on."

Kageyama looked away, trying to tug his arms from the tight vise-like grip around them. It was useless, both from the grip and the lack of motivation to make the hands leave.

"That's why I told you to leave. You weren't supposed to see that."

Hinata's eyes flicked upwards and his hands lessened their strength over his skin. One left to cup Kageyama's damp cheek and brush its thumb across his cheekbone. There was deep concern and sincerity in the redhead's brown eyes. He didn't know why it was there. No one cared about him. No one ever has. It was new to him but it didn't appear new to Hinata. The psychic seemed to know what to do but, at the same time, couldn't.

"Does this happen often, Bakayama?" Hinata asked. His voice was soft and sweet. Almost like a lover speaking to their partner or a mother speaking to their child.

Kageyama shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. . . Normally only during my depressions."

The hand stayed on his cheek, still caressing his face. He could feel himself lean into the touch and restrained himself. _No. I cannot feed this. . . thing. It will only bring pain to both of us_. Instead he turned the other way. The fingers found their way into his hair. His eyes watered at the gesture. He can't hurt Hinata. It's the last thing he wants. So he knew the only way  to protect the living is to cut it off where it was.

Kageyama pushed the hand away, trying to remain ignorant to the glimmer of hurt in Hinata's eyes. He stood from his spot on the floor.

"Why does it matter? I can't die. Once this depression ends, there will always be another waiting to start, and another one after that, and so on and so forth," Kageyama said, teeth clenched to keep his voice even.

Hinata looked up at him before standing up and saying, "Because I care and want to try to help. You don't always have to be sad. I can help you."

Kageyama shook his head and took a step back, widening the distance between them. He couldn't let himself be any closer. All he wanted was to wrap his arms around the little sunshine and wish the tears to go away. But that would counter everything he knew was right. It could never happen between them. Hinata would grow up and live his life while Kageyama would be stuck at the age of fifteen. They couldn't do actual things that living people could do. One was bound to the house and the other was free to everything. It was unbelievable how much Kageyama wanted to go back and change his mind. If he had just waited a little longer, he could be right next to Hinata with everyone able to see him and actually touch him and show Hinata how much he had grown to like him.

"You can't help someone who is already dead."

"You don't know that. I don't know if you've noticed, stupid, but I am a psychic! I know a few things that you don't. I have been exposed to more things so I can help if you let me."

"Why do you even want to help? What's in it for you?"

Kageyama turned around to pace around the open pace in the room. He couldn't look at the boy while speaking to him like this. Not anymore. A week ago he would be able to just lie like it was natural for him, just like he did before he died. Why couldn't he do it now? What about Hinata Shouyou made him lose his head, made him stumble over words and his heart pound - though not really - in his chest? His skin still felt like there was electricity on it from where he was held and his cheek still felt like the hand was touching him, caressing his cheekbone.

There was silence in the room. This silence allowed the small things from outside the bedroom door drip through the air in which the words hung like warning signs on the side of the road. They could hear the giggle from Natsu watching cartoons and the clink of dishes from the kitchen as Hinata's parents ate their breakfast. That meant Hinata would need to leave soon for Saturday volleyball practice, leaving Kageyama by himself with the family. Kageyama missed volleyball and he wished he could play. He wished he could play _with Hinata_ to see what the look of victory was like on the small face. But, right now, the only look on Hinata's face was one of sadness and need.

"Because I like you, Kageyama. I like you, and it would mean so much to me if you could be happy without having to suffer everyday."

Those words broke something inside Kageyama. He stopped pacing to look at the redhead, whose face was flushed and damp once again. He didn't know how the hell he was supposed to respond to something like that. Something warm rolled down his cheeks - tears - falling faster and faster until an audible sob slipped past his lips. He covered his mouth, biting back another cry. Hinata walked up to him and wrapped his arms around Kageyama's waist. They sat there for a moment with Kageyama's emotion once again out of control and Hinata hugging him tightly. The raven wrapped him in an equally tight embrace, burying his face into the bright orange hair. He breathed in deep to smell sunshine, flowers and Hinata. It was something he had never smelled before and loved the minute it reached his nose.

"I really like you and I wish you wouldn't suffer. I'll find a way to make you all better," Hinata whispered into Kageyama's shoulder.

They sat there again, no more words spoken between the two. There were none to be said. All they needed at the moment was the embrace and each other. Eventually the sobs slowed to a stop, and there was just silence. Kageyama's face was still pressed against Hinata's hair. He was still going to hold back. He wasn't entirely trusting of the promise that had been made. There was no possible way to make the ghost born of pain ever be happy again. Hinata just squeezed Kageyama with all his might and hid his face into his shoulder.

Against his better judgement, Kageyama whispered into the softness that caressed his face, "I like you too, dumbass."

Soon the phone began to ring and it was Hinata's teammate, Nishinoya, calling to tell him that if he didn't leave now he would be late for practice. Kageyama pulled away slightly to look down at Hinata. The sixteen-year-old looked up at him with such a loving expression it physically - as physical as a ghost can get - hurt him for what he had to do. He pulled away complete and watched as Hinata grabbed his gym bag, slinging it over his shoulder. He walked back over to Kageyama, hugged him tight, and started towards the front door. Kageyama followed him until they stood at the door. For a moment, Kageyama forgot he couldn't leave and slammed into the invisible barrier, jerking his hand from Hinata's grasp. Hinata looked back at him with an apoligetic smile.

"Sorry, forgot I couldn't leave," Kageyama said with a sigh. He took a step back away from the door.

Hinata smiled and stepped back through the threshold, pulling the spirit around the corner of the door. Kageyama was watching him with wide eyes as arms wrapped around his neck and his head was pulled down into a light kiss.

It took him completely by surprise. Hinata's lips were strangely soft and warm against Kageyama's cold, dry ones. They sat there for a second, two before they finally pulled away and smiled.

"Wait for me?" Hinata asked, teasing the dark hair he had locked  his fingers in.

Kageyama rolled his eyes and looked away. "Dumbass, where would I go?"

Hinata laughed. His smile brightened away the darkness from earlier and was unique to him alone. Kageyama felt his cheeks flush from the pute innocent feelings in the look he received. He pulled his hands from their perch on Hinata's hips, slightly embarrassed how they had found themselves there. He gave a sharp tug at the strap of the gym bag.

"Stupid, you're going to be late if you don't get your ass on the bike and go to fucking practice." Kageyama pushed Hinata towards the door. Despite the shove, he had a small smile on his face. "How will you explain a dead kid held you up?"

Hinata giggled again before jogging out of the house, picking up his bicycle as he passed by it. He waved as he hopped onto it and peddled away. Kageyama watched until the little orange mess of hair disappeared into the distance. As soon as he realized he was gone for several hours, Kageyama got insanely lonely.

"Kage-senpai, do you like Shouyou?"

Kageyama turned around to see Natsu standing there with her hair up in pigtails. She rocked on her heels as she waited for an answer. He looked at her and crossed his arms.

"Why? Do you like your brother?" He leaned down so his face was level with hers. "If your cartoons are over, I bet you that you can't find me in a game of hide-and-seek."

Natsu's face lit up in excitement. She nodded hurriedly. "Bet I can! If I win, you have to play with me until lunchtime."

Kageyama smirked and stuck out his hand for her to shake. Once they shook on it, Natau turned and buried her face into a couch cushion, counting with a few moments' hesitation to think about the next one. Kageyama turned and ran through the rooms. He passed by Hinata's parents who were talking about paying the cost for a new therapist for Shouyou.

Kageyama stopped for a moment, taking a moment to listen to Natsu's counting. After noting the she was halfway to where she was supposed to be, he knew he had some time to do something about this issue. He walked up to the table where there were several papers scattered about, Hinata's name on the top of several. He glared at the parents and started reading some of the papers.

"Do you think this one could help?" the woman asked, picking up one of the sheets. It was for a hospital in America. "It is so far away, and we just got here. Do you think that we can afford it?"

Kageyama restrained himself from ripping the paper up so it was clear that America was not an option. Hinata's father looked at the one briefly before shuffling more papers. There were brochures for different insitutions for people who see hallucinations. The anger boiled inside of Kageyama's body. If this was a cartoon, his body would be bright red. He threw his arms out in front of him and swung them so the papers flew off the table and over the floor. Hinata's parents gasped as they watched the sudden disturbance of their things go all over. As Kageyama's emotions flared, more things happened. A chair tipped over, and the lights flickered; the tv that had been playing some cartoons for Natsu during breakfast went to a grainy image before popping off.

"You can't send him away. You can't send anyone away. I won't let you!" Kageyama screamed, making several bulbs explode. Little pieces of glass rained down.

The explosion made Hinata's parents let out a yelp and Natsu run into the room. She crossed her arms over her chest, stomping her foot. 

"Kageyama, that's not how you play hide-and-seek," she whined. She walked into the room, apparently unaware of all the papers on the floor. 

"Natsu, who are you talking to?" Her mother's voice was honeyed, a motive behind the question.

Natsu turned her attention to her mother like she had forgotten that she was there. "My friend. We're playing right now."

Natsu shot him a pout and Kageyama nodded. It was the end of that. He followed her out of the kitchen to leave the parents to convince themselves it was a freak, short earthquake. They sat in the living room while Natsu scolded him on the rules of hide-and-seek. Once she was sure that Kageyama understood her rules, she grinned and began counting. He would not go back through the kitchen so he decided to pull of some ghost stereotypes and went through the wall. He got to Natsu's room and slipped under the bed. He could hear her little voice counting to 20, noting some numbers were missing and he would tease her about cheating.

"Ready or not, here I come!" she giggles.

He smiled from his hiding spot. She ran all over the place, looking everywhere. He covered his mouth when he saw little feet running into the room. He watched as she went to her closet, behind her door and finally got down on her knees to spot him under her bed. 

"Found you!" she cheered. "Now you gotta give me a hug!"

Kageyama nodded then gave her a big squeeze, feeling her squeeze back. She was probably just like her brother. After they shared the hug, they continued to run around and hide from each other until they heard the front door open. Hinata was home.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Volleybabies spend time together with slight complications.

When Kageyama heard the front door open, he raced from his hiding spot to where he expected to see Hinata. As much as he hated to admit it, he was really looking foward to taking the ginger into a huge hug and maybe sneak a kiss or two. He really shouldn't because then they will grow even more attached but the kisses felt so good and wonderful. He skidded to a stop as his plans came to a halt.

Hinata wasn't alone.

Coming in behind Hinata was a short guy with hair that was done up and a streak of blond in the front. Kageyama stood there with a scowl. _Stupid Hinata. This isn't what we discussed._  He glared at them as they walked through the house towards Hinata's bedroom. Kageyama ran behind them, trying to get Hinata's attention.

"Dumbass, who is this?"

Hinata glanced at Kageyama before continuing without an answer. It was obvious that the stranger was someone from Hinata's volleyball club, but he didn't know which one of them it was. Perhaps it was the one who called. _What's his name? Nishinoya, was it?_ The three of them went into the room where Nishinoya and Hinata threw their bags in front of the dresser then sat on the bed.

"Hinata, who is this? I thought you told me to wait for you," Kageyama complained. He shook his head and dropped down on the bed.

Hinata looked at him while Nishinoya's back was turned, grinned, and gave a wink. Kageyama felt his cheeks flush, forcing him to look away. Hinata bit his lip to hold back a laugh when Nishinoya turned back around with a wicked grin.

"Is it true? Is your place really haunted?" he asked, sitting on his knees in excitement.

Kageyama and Hinata look at each other. The dead kid expected it soon enough whereas the living was surprised. Anyone who came to this house always asked that same question and it was getting quite annoying after hearing it 2,000 times from 2,000 different people. Kageyama clicked his tongue in irritation and leaned back in his chair.

Hinata gave a huff of a sigh then shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. I can't be sure though."

The answer seemed to please Nishinoya who jumped off the bed and scrambled over to his backpack. He ripped open the bag to search through the things inside. After a moment, the guest seemed to find what he was looking for. That was a box that had a cheesy Halloween font that said, " _Ouija board: Talk to people from beyond the grave!_ " Nishinoya put it down on the bed then tore off the top. He grinned up at Hinata with a wag of his eyebrows.

"Can we play?"

Hinata's eyes widened. He looked afraid.

"I don't think we should mess with this, Noya-senpai. It can bring really bad things," Hinata warned. There was clear worry in his voice.

Nishinoya rolled his eyes and pulled the planchette from the box, turning it over in his hands. It was made of wood with a little hole in the center. He placed it on the board and place two fingers from each hand on top.

"It's just a game. Nothing bad can come out of this. If it really works, we will only be talking to that guy who killed himself," Nishinoya said. He gave a nod to tell Hinata to do the same with his hands. "I heard he is a real piece of work. Told people what to do a lot. He was called the King of the Court. A real dictator."

Kageyama jumped up, anger flaring wildly. The temperature dropped which caused the boys to shiver. Hinata flickered his eyes in Kageyama's direction.

"Don't call me that!" he screamed.

There was the sound of a small fist rapping quickly on the door. The door opened enough for Natsu to stick her head inside. She had a little pout on her face that was too cute to be intimidated by.

"Stop making Kage-senpai upset. He needs happy time," she said, shaking her finger as she scolded them. "Now, go back to what you were doing."

She flashed a smile before closing the door and going back down the hall. Nishinoya looked at Hinata, laughter bubbling from his lips. He clapped his hands together. Hinata dropped his head, his orange hair falling into his eyes. This was not going to go well. Kageyama walked over to the bed and glared at their guest, even though he couldn't be seen. He moved to sit down next to Hinata, but then shifted so he was on the short end of the spirit board. He was not going to entertain Nishinoya's stupid little joke.

"I think he's here," said Nishinoya with a bigger grin. "C'mon, Hinata, play. It will be fun."

Kageyama looked at him with his eyes narrowed. If Hinata goes along with this, they will be having a long talk once this volleyball idiot was gone. There was silence aside from Nishinoya's excited bouncing. Finally, Hinata placed his middle fingers and forefingers on the planchette with a sigh.

"You are in big trouble, shorty," Kageyama hissed. He got an apologetic smile in return.

Nishinoya let out a triumphant laugh, jumping up and down in his seat. "Let's get this party started! Summon some ghost king, huh? Alright, now then, do you want to ask first?" he asked Hinata. Hinata shook his head. Nishinoya closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Okie dokie, let's see. Kageyama Tobio, are you with us?"

Kageyama himself crossed his arms and shook his head. He would not give into to this stupid thing. Hinata looked at him with begging. It was obvious that he wanted his dead friend to humor the guest for now. Those big brown eyes stared back at him and soon Kageyama's compsure cracked. He groaned, scowling at the ginger before placing his hands on the planchette. He focused on it as he pushed it towards the painted 'YES'. When Nishinoya felt the piece moving, his eyes popped open and he watched it as Kageyama moved it.

"Holy shit, are you messing with me? Are you doing this?" he asked Hinata.

Hinata shook his head, playing off what he knew.

"Okay, okay, okay. How old were you when you died?"

Kageyama hated this. It was stupid and felt like they were mocking him. He flexed his fingers before moving the piece to the number one then the number five. This made Nishinoya go insane. He was practically vibrating from excitement. Kageyama could feel some sort of fear as well in the teen from the realization that something was really there with them. They sat there in silence for a while as Nishinoya was trying to wrap his head around what was going on. Kageyama decided to have a bit of fun and started spelling something out.

"I K-N-O-W Y-O-U," Nishinoya read out. He looked up at Hinata with wide eyes. "Who does he mean? You or me?"

Kageyama looked at Hinata and grinned. Judging up the reaction, it was incredibly creepy. He let go of the planchette, stood up off the bed, then stood behind the brunet. He sucked in a breath and blew hard past his ear. Nishinoya jumped and whipped around. When he couldn't see anything there, his face read total terror. He looked at Hinata then looked at the planchette under his fingers. He took a deep breath and Kageyana rolled his eyes. He thought Nishinoya should have expected something to happen. He took his seat back next to the two boys, leaning back on his hands.

"Hinata, something is going on," Nishinoya said, "and it's really weird."

"You asked for it, Noya-senpai. I told you not to mess with this. He isn't someone you should mess with," Hinata replied with a shake of his head. He wrung his hands together, glancing at Kageyama.

"Do you think we can get him to possess me?" Nishinoya asked in complete seriousness.

Hinata choked on his own breath, clutching at his throat. Kageyama reached out to hold onto Hinata's shaking shoulders. He looked at him worryingly. He didn't let go until he was sure that it was absolutely certain that Hinata was okay. Both of them knew it was an terrible idea to attempt it. Kageyama couldn't say he didn't want to at least attempt it. He wondered how he could.

"No, you don't know what could happen," Hinata said.

"But that could be fun! Think about it: he could really communicate with is." Nishinoya grabbed a notebook and pen. "Hopefully it works with me."

The notebook was sitting in Nishinoya's lap with the pen perched above it. His eyes were closed and he had his head tilted back. Hinata looked at him with worry; he knew that putting yourself spiritually vulnerable was never a good thing. He looked at Kageyama who just looked at him. Kageyama didn't know how to possess someone, not that he ever tried. Did he just step into them or did the person have to invite him? He took a deep breath. He shifted to basically push his body into Nishinoya's, but something happened. He was thrown backwards and then he was somewhere he'd never been before. It felt strange.

He could feel the bed shift underneath him. _What the hell?_ He opened his eyes and in front of him was Nishinoya still waiting to have Kageyama possess him. He looked down at his hands. They were calloused and small. Was he inside of Hinata?

_"What the hell? Bakayama, get out of my body!"_

_"Hinata?"_

_"Who else would it be? The Tooth Fairy?"_

Kageyama blinked Hinata's eyes. He raised his hands to touch the soft orange hair that fell into his eyes. He smiled and touched anything he could.

"Oh my god. This is amazing," Kageyama said, loving the sound of Hinata's voice speak his words.

Nishinoya cracked open his right eye, peeking at his friend. "Why are you making your voice like that?"

"Like what?" Hinata asked, shoving Kageyama aside in his head.

"It got really deep there for a second. Like when you mock Daichi," Nishinoya answered, tossing the pen down. "I guess I can't. Man, that would have been awesome to talk about."

"It'll be a damn good one. Bugging the hell out of me with those stupid questions," Kageyama said with a frown. "Don't you ever call me the King of the Court again. Ever."

Nishinoya blinked then grinned. He leaned forward and looked into Hinata's/Kageyama's eyes. "Holy shit. It's Kageyama, isn't it?"

They nodded. Hinata struggled to keep control of his body again. Kageyama, on the other hand, was fascinated. He had never done this before. His mind wandered to different things that could happen - which eventually turned to something a mother would be horrified by. Hinata's cheeks flushed from both of them as a reaction to the ideas.

 _"That is inappropriate,"_ Hinata muttered.

_"But it could be so fun."_

Hinata threw his hands over his face and Nishinoya asked what was going on. Kageyama kept thinking of different things that got a physical reaction in Hinata's nether regions, making him remember what it was like to have uncomfortably tight pants. Suddenly, Kageyama began to feel tired and then he was thrown back out onto the bedroom floor. He laid there, struggling to catch his breath.

"Oh thank god," Hinata gasped. "Noya-senpai, it's getting late and I have to shower. This was fun and all but being possessed is exhausting."

He stood up and helped pick up Nishinoya's things for him. He handed them off before quickly ushering the guest out his door, leaving the dead and the living alone. Kageyama smirked from his spot on the floor, chuckling at what he had done. Oh, he liked what he had done. He liked it a lot. It was dirty and teasing. Dirty, teasing, and damning him to hell.

Hinata had rested his head against the the wood of the door. He was gasping in a way that was almost wantonly loud. His cheeks were rosy and looked really warm. Kageyama was proud of himself and pissed at himself. He was proud that he could affect Hinata in such a way with just thoughts, then he was pissed at himself because he was digging himself a bigger hole to get out of.

He sat up off the floor then turned away and looked out the window. A chill washed over him, making his arms prickle in goosebumps. There was a sweater he cherished with his life that he kept hidden even from his parents. It was in a plastic bag behind the vent in the wall so only he knew where it was. He wanted to wrap up in it and hide away from the world. Despite how much he enjoyed it, he hated that he did. Hinata had escaped into the bathroom so it left Kageyama in there alone for a brief moment of time. He went over to the vent - it was almost hidden by the bed - and popped it open. He reached his hand in. Patting around for a second, he finally felt the hard, smooth plastic. He pulled it out to reveal the soft yellow material hidden by the plastic.

He could hear the flush of the toilet and quickly pushed the vent back into place. He ripped open the bag and shoved it underneath the small twin bag. He pulled the sweater into his lap, already feeling the calming element it always brought wash over him. It still smelled like his old room - like him. The small logo on the right breast brought old memories back. Playing volleyball, winning matches, thinking he had a team. Ignorance is bliss, especially with that situation.

Hinata came out of the bathroom with his cheeks back to their normal color. Everything seemed back to normal. He went over to the bed and Kageyama stayed put in the corner with the sweater in his lap. He clutched it to his chest, his arms through the sleeves. His eyes began to droop and he tried to stay awake. He knew what this was. It was the time his soul (or whatever he was) needed to recharge. It normally didn't happen very often but the time he spent in Hinata's body drained him completely. He didn't know how long he was going to be out, but he hoped it wouldn't be too long. He never knew how long it lasted.

Suddenly, yet oh so slowly, his eyes fell shut and he fell asleep. He could hear Hinata's voice speaking his name as he lost consciousness. He managed to whisper back but that was all before it just went black.


End file.
